Austin Breiner knows too well that this unrelenting drought is an absolute disaster. It's taking a devastating toll on his farm at Oakhampton but that impact is a far cry from the barren fields fellow farmers are enduring in western and northern NSW - and in other parts of the country. He knows the fierce conditions have left our food bowl in dire straights - and with little reprieve on the horizon things are only going to get worse. That's why he cannot believe the federal government's latest plan to ease the pressure on the front line is more low-interest loans - this time with a two year no repayment period. Eligible farmers can receive loans up to $2 million to buy fodder, pay agistment fees, transport stock, pay employees and buy new equipment. Repayments won't start for two years. Interest only payments will begin after that and last for three years. The farmer will then have four years to pay off the loan and the interest incurred. The interest rate will cover administration and borrowing costs. Farmers previously issued with a low interest loan will also be given a two year no repayment period if they contact the Regional Investment Corporation and ask for it. "Loans?," Mr Breiner said. "Will conditions be better in two years? We certainly hope it will improve by then, but we don't know what is around the corner. The forecast hasn't looked promising for some time. "I don't think the government wants to do anything more because they want to keep the budget in surplus." The federal government will also offer small businesses with a direct link to agriculture the chance to apply for a $500,000 loan to buy equipment, pay staff or refinance. It will follow the same payment scheme. The government has also pledged $10 million for schools in financial hardship due to the drought and fee concessions for boarding students. That's a similar action to the one rolled out after the Queensland floods. Five million dollars will help child care centres with financial pressures because drought-affected families cannot afford child care, through the Community Child Care Fund. The 122 councils and shires previously given $1 million can have an extra $1 million each if they need it. A $50 million fund will support projects in eligible Local Government Areas and $200 million will be redirected into a Building Better Regions Fund to support projects with social and economic benefits. On top of that, $138.9 million will be added to the available Roads to Recovery funding in 2020 for councils eligible under the Drought Communities Programme Extension. The government will also release 100 gigalitres of water - equivalent to 40,000 olympic swimming pools, into the lower Murray Darling Basin. It finalised that agreement on Thursday - the same day it announced the plan. The government expects that water, which is being stored in dams, will grow up to 120,000 tonnes of fodder as well as silage and pasture to help secure supplies for the coming months. Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote on Facebook that 100 gigalitres would grow 400,000 bales of fodder. Drought and Water Minister David Littleproud said this action would put more fodder into the system and put downward pressure on prices. He said this would make sure that fodder was affordable for farmers. The water will be delivered by April 31 and benefit between 4000-6000 farmers. "This will help farmers maintain their breeding stock during the drought so when it breaks farmers can recover faster," Mr Littleproud said. "This is a unique step, one that we as a government took boldly, sought the hand of the state government to come with us." Mr Breiner said giving farmers cash grants was the best option to help them survive and rebuild when the drought ended. "At a time like this, which is absolutely an absolute disaster, no matter how you look at it, grants are the only way people are going to have a chance to survive," he said. "The government makes all of this noise to create the impression that they are doing something good, but behind the scenes they are doing as little as they can." The vegetable grower said the state government offered a similar loan approach after a big flood hit the area in the late 1990's - and that didn't hit the mark either. "I remember in 1998 we had a big flood at Hinton and NSW Premier Bob Carr came in the flood boat and he declared it a disaster area and offered low interest loans at 4 per cent. Potato farmers in Phoenix Park said 'we're already carrying as much debt as we can, what's the point of carrying more?'. They folded soon after," he said. "They will walk away and their shareholders will have plenty of money but that soil will be virtually useless. "They will literally have mined it for all the minerals in it. They care about the bottom line where as the family farms have a much greater infinity for the land itself and look at long-term sustainability and productivity." Mr Breiner is again battling to keep his vegetables alive and knows that means he won't have a lot of food to bring to the twice-monthly Slow Food Earth Market in The Levee. His vegetable plants are dehydrated and hand watering to keep them alive is proving to be a difficult task. "They are all wilting over and I know they don't have much time left in this world. The citrus trees are dropping their flowers and their leaves too, and in the rainforest section they are dropping their leaves as well," he said.

HARD TIMES: Oakhampton farmer Austin Breiner standing in his vegetable patch, which is normally brimming with a wide range of produce at this time of year. Picture: Jonathan Carroll.

Austin Breiner knows too well that this unrelenting drought is an absolute disaster.

It's taking a devastating toll on his farm at Oakhampton but that impact is a far cry from the barren fields fellow farmers are enduring in western and northern NSW - and in other parts of the country.

He knows the fierce conditions have left our food bowl in dire straights - and with little reprieve on the horizon things are only going to get worse.

That's why he cannot believe the federal government's latest plan to ease the pressure on the front line is more low-interest loans - this time with a two year no repayment period.

Eligible farmers can receive loans up to $2 million to buy fodder, pay agistment fees, transport stock, pay employees and buy new equipment. Repayments won't start for two years.

Interest only payments will begin after that and last for three years. The farmer will then have four years to pay off the loan and the interest incurred.

The interest rate will cover administration and borrowing costs.

Farmers previously issued with a low interest loan will also be given a two year no repayment period if they contact the Regional Investment Corporation and ask for it.

"Loans?," Mr Breiner said.

More loans?. It's like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. This drought is a disaster ... A lot of farming families can't take on any more debt and if they do, how are they going to be able to pay it back in the time frame?

"Will conditions be better in two years? We certainly hope it will improve by then, but we don't know what is around the corner. The forecast hasn't looked promising for some time.

"I don't think the government wants to do anything more because they want to keep the budget in surplus."

The finer details

The federal government will also offer small businesses with a direct link to agriculture the chance to apply for a $500,000 loan to buy equipment, pay staff or refinance. It will follow the same payment scheme.

The government has also pledged $10 million for schools in financial hardship due to the drought and fee concessions for boarding students. That's a similar action to the one rolled out after the Queensland floods.

Five million dollars will help child care centres with financial pressures because drought-affected families cannot afford child care, through the Community Child Care Fund.

The 122 councils and shires previously given $1 million can have an extra $1 million each if they need it.

A $50 million fund will support projects in eligible Local Government Areas and $200 million will be redirected into a Building Better Regions Fund to support projects with social and economic benefits.

On top of that, $138.9 million will be added to the available Roads to Recovery funding in 2020 for councils eligible under the Drought Communities Programme Extension.

Water will grow 400,000 bales, says PM

The government will also release 100 gigalitres of water - equivalent to 40,000 olympic swimming pools, into the lower Murray Darling Basin. It finalised that agreement on Thursday - the same day it announced the plan.

The government expects that water, which is being stored in dams, will grow up to 120,000 tonnes of fodder as well as silage and pasture to help secure supplies for the coming months.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wrote on Facebook that 100 gigalitres would grow 400,000 bales of fodder.

Drought and Water Minister David Littleproud said this action would put more fodder into the system and put downward pressure on prices.

He said this would make sure that fodder was affordable for farmers.

The water will be delivered by April 31 and benefit between 4000-6000 farmers.

"This will help farmers maintain their breeding stock during the drought so when it breaks farmers can recover faster," Mr Littleproud said.

It can not be transferred, it must be used for fodder production so we can continue to put downward pressure on fodder to make sure that it is affordable for farmers out there.

"This is a unique step, one that we as a government took boldly, sought the hand of the state government to come with us."

Cash grants vital for farmers' survival

BETTER TIMES: Austin Breiner with the wide variety of produce he used to bring to the Slow Food Earth Market in The Levee. Times have drastically changed since then.

Mr Breiner said giving farmers cash grants was the best option to help them survive and rebuild when the drought ended.

"At a time like this, which is absolutely an absolute disaster, no matter how you look at it, grants are the only way people are going to have a chance to survive," he said.

"The government makes all of this noise to create the impression that they are doing something good, but behind the scenes they are doing as little as they can."

The vegetable grower said the state government offered a similar loan approach after a big flood hit the area in the late 1990's - and that didn't hit the mark either.

"I remember in 1998 we had a big flood at Hinton and NSW Premier Bob Carr came in the flood boat and he declared it a disaster area and offered low interest loans at 4 per cent. Potato farmers in Phoenix Park said 'we're already carrying as much debt as we can, what's the point of carrying more?'. They folded soon after," he said.

If farmers don't get the support they need more of them will be forced to walk off their farm. What's going to happen to their land then? It will be taken over by big companies who say they will farm the place very efficiently but over 50 to 60 years they will strip that soil of most of its nutrients.

"They will walk away and their shareholders will have plenty of money but that soil will be virtually useless.

"They will literally have mined it for all the minerals in it. They care about the bottom line where as the family farms have a much greater infinity for the land itself and look at long-term sustainability and productivity."

Drought still taking a toll on Maitland

Mr Breiner is again battling to keep his vegetables alive and knows that means he won't have a lot of food to bring to the twice-monthly Slow Food Earth Market in The Levee.

His vegetable plants are dehydrated and hand watering to keep them alive is proving to be a difficult task.

"They are all wilting over and I know they don't have much time left in this world. The citrus trees are dropping their flowers and their leaves too, and in the rainforest section they are dropping their leaves as well," he said.